Typically, the cabinet of a portable television receiver is made up of a pair of injection molded halves--the cabinet front and the back cover, which are molded from a suitable thermoplastic material (e.g., polystyrene). The picture tube and the chassis carrying the electronics are mounted to the cabinet front. The back cover is then secured to the front cover to complete the instrument assembly.
The fastening means used for attaching the back cover to the front cabinet must fulfill a number of basic requirements. The fastening means must withstand shock and vibration encountered during handling and shipping. The fastening means must allow disengagement of the back cover from the cabinet front to permit servicing of the television instrument, and it must allow subsequent re-assembly of the back cover. Moreover, the fastening means must not permit inadvertent opening of the back cover to reduce safety hazards.
Traditionally, the television cabinet halves have been joined together with screw type fasteners, since they meet the above-mentioned basic requirements. However, a disadvantage of the screw type fasteners is that they are not amenable to automatic assembly of the television instrument. The assembly time required to install the screws is relatively large. Furthermore, relatively sophisticated equipment is required for automatic installation of the screws.
In the television industry, substantial efforts have been directed toward automation of the instrument assembly line. The pressures for automation have intensified recently due to increased competition. Efforts are under way to design a product that lends itself to automatic assembly. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a fastening means for joining the back cover to the cabinet front, which not only satisfies the aforesaid basic requirements, but is also conducive to automation (e.g., robotic assembly).